Italian Open 2024: Mirra Andreeva vs Paula Badosa; Preview, Head-to-Head, Prediction

Rome is all set to host yet another action-packed tournament of the European clay court swing. The 2024 Internazionali BNL d’Italia draw has already been released and the Top 32 seeds have received byes in the 96-player draw. However, there have been quite a few lip-smacking clashes that fans are going to witness in the first round. The 17-year-old tennis sensation Mirra Andreeva will face the former world number 2, Paula Badosa, in just a few hours from now. However, the biggest question ahead of this intriguing clash is – Is Paula Badosa fully fit to play a full match?

If yes, she can be a real threat in this tournament. Badosa has been struggling with injuries and lack of form for quite some time now. She’ll be eager to prove her mettle, on a surface which she has always loved to play. However, Mirra Andreeva is very much excited to face Badosa in her first match in Rome. “I’ve actually wanted to play Badosa, and I will play her tomorrow!” – Mirra Andreeva, getting her wish fulfilled after 8 days of her 17th birthday. But can she make it more memorable by snatching a victory against Badosa?

Mirra Andreeva vs Paula Badosa: Preview

The Russian tennis star recently celebrated her 17th birthday with her first WTA 1000 QF appearance in Madrid. She lost the match against the eventual finalist, Aryna Sabalenka by 1-6,4-6. But her deep run into the tournament shows her potential to thrive on bigger stages of the game. She hit three aces and committed only two double faults against the world number two. Her first serve win percentage in that match was around 65%, while it dropped to 44% on her second serve. Mirra Andreeva managed to win five of her service games against Sabalenka.

If we look at her records for this season, Andreeva has reached three QF in her previous tournaments this year. Can she make yet another deep run in Rome? Well, her numbers for this have been quite decent so far. She has hit a total of forty-four aces and committed forty-five double faults in the 2024 season. Mirra Andreeva has won 67% of her service games and 44.5% of her return games so far this year. Her consistency has proved to be the major key to her recent success.

While consistency has been a major concern to Paula Badosa in the past few months. Her deepest run into the tournaments for this year has been reaching R16 on two previous occasions. She lost her previous match on her home soil at the Madrid Open to her compatriot Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. The legacy which she created a few years ago, with her stellar performances is under a serious threat now. It’s now or never kinda situation for the 26-year-old Spaniard. 

Badosa is known for her fiery serves, but she managed to hit only a single ace in the entire match against Maniero and committed five double faults. Her first-serve win percentage was 57% and her second-serve win percentage was 44% in her previous match. Paula Badosa converted six of her thirteen double faults and won six service games against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. Looking at her records for this year, Badosa has managed to hit a staggering sixty-two aces and committed a hefty number of double faults (78) so far this season. She has won 69.8% of her service games but could only manage to win 30.2% of her return games. But who’s ahead in their H2H?

Andreeva vs Badosa: Head-to-Head

Well, they haven’t met each other earlier in their careers so far. Paula Badosa is a proven player who is currently fighting to make her presence felt on the bigger stages of the game. While Mirra Andreeva is trying to create an identity for herself on the women’s tour. The Russian has already showcased some stellar performances against some top opponents in her previous tournaments. Andreeva (40) may be ahead of Badosa (126) in the rankings, but the Spaniard has experience on her side. Who will have the edge in this exciting faceoff?

Prediction: In-form teenage tennis star, Andreeva to seal the deal against former world number 2

Recently in Madrid, Mirra Andreeva became the second youngest player to reach a WTA 1000 QF since the format was introduced in 2009. Her performances on Paula Badosa’s home soil will boost her confidence before entering this match. Andreeva has a win-loss record of 12-6, while Paula Badosa is just at 6-9 for this season so far. However, Badosa has some fond memories of clay courts from her previous outings. She won the 2015 French Open girls’ singles title and managed to reach the QF of the French Open in 2021.

Mirra Andreeva has never competed in this tournament before, but Paula Badosa reached the QF of the Italian Open last year. Paula Badosa’s biggest concern must be her fitness. Her biggest strength heading into this faceoff will be her big serving abilities. She will also look forward to banking on her powerful forehands and utilizing her reverse forehands (also known as ‘buggy-whip’) to break any potential deadlocks in the match against Andreeva. However, the Russian’s current form and her confidence level will give her an edge in this battle.